Act your age! Do you remember that little chestnut thrown at you when you displayed a moment of indiscretion? It is usually remembered as a statement of opprobrium — your behavior being perceived as infantile, churlish, or immature. Later, when you are old, people fling it at you again. Now that you are much older and wiser, in theory, you should act with thoughtfulness and sagacity.
But, wait a moment! What if I don’t want to act my age? I want to behave like I feel inside. I am 31, for instance. That was when I lost my fear of money and began to realize that it was just a tool. It could be rediscovered in the back garden and put to work.
As we age, many lose their youthful exuberance — their true love of life. Anyone who has lived a meaningful life knows that consciousness is difficult and has a tendency to break individuals, psychologically, all the time. The question posed is how to remain internally young and externally optimistic.
Here I must stop and realize that, though the temple will age, it is still carrying the eternal me. Thus, I must aspire to keep it healthy. This is a two-fold process: The one is, of course, through physical activity — exercise, sports, and the like. The other is through a spiritual understanding of who I am and what it means to be me. This is a journey that can only be understood personally, my mission if you will.
Then we return to a profoundly important point: Associate with young people. Go back to school, teach, or join a multigenerational club. Keep away from the old folks’ home. Old people normally have old ideas. Boring! Find the young who are filled with hope and inspiration — though perhaps naive. You can then push on to a whole new you.
The aged should be filled with wisdom, shouldn’t they? And, to be fair, some are astute and introspective. It is, however, only if a person experiences the full gamut of life that he has something to say or impart. The new rage in the West is to make a lot of money and retire into a senior’s community. It is the new monastic community. Often, no young people under the age of 55 may live there — foolish and unnatural. Act your age. Put a packsack on your back and be off.
From J.R.R. Tolkien: All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. (1)
A closing thought: Stay on your path; persist on your journey. This is true whether you are 16 or 60. It is a truism that the only person who can validate my life is me. It is an arduous task to develop who I should be, but I can. Have faith, pray, and get to work!
To sum up: This week we spoke about acting our age, but this must be a time that we have chosen to energize our life.
To be noted: From William Shakespeare — Come what may, time and hour runs through the roughest day. (2) (3)
Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnDLlajMxyo&t=23s&ab_channel=BeyondGrooveProductions
For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0zxgXgLlJo&ab_channel=PiersMorganUncensored
This week, on your thoughtful walk, please reflect on what travel has meant to your life.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!
Quote: Keep your heart eternally young
Footnotes:
2) https://poets.org/glossary/sonnet
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2FPQdc5ACQ&list=PLD86B61F84C5561B8&ab_channel=Socratica